The Empire’s Princess (6)

Nia was looking at me, hanging upside down from the ceiling, her yellowish-green eyes sparkling clearly.

“Seriously, how long have you been here?”

“Since last week, nya. I smelled Haru-nyang’s scent and followed it all the way, nya.”

“Seriously, you followed me that fast?”

“When the party members started fighting, Nia was the first to escape, nya. Nia’s precious fur can’t get damaged fighting monsters.”

I laughed at her shameless answer. So cat-like.

“If you followed me so quickly, why did you try to rob the treasure vault?”

“That’s… because I need to prepare a house and trousseau to live with Haru-nyang!”

I was momentarily speechless. Even in this situation, she’s saying things like that…

“Do you even know that the Princess-nim and the Saintess-nim are fighting each other?”

“Nyang-nyang… Nia’s plan is perfect, nya.”

Her smug smile while hanging upside down didn’t suit her at all.

“I was planning to snatch Haru-nyang after everyone got tired! That’s the way of the Great Thief Nia!”

“…But you fell into a trap.”

Nia’s ears perked up and then drooped.

“The silvervine fruit looked so delicious, nya… It must be top-quality silvervine for imperial cats, nya…”

I sighed. No matter how legendary the great thief is, in the end, a cat is still a cat.

“Haru-nyang, don’t laugh, nya! I was hungry because I kept chasing Haru-nyang… It’s all Haru-nyang’s fault, nya!”

“If you were a dog beast-person, you wouldn’t have been caught.”

“Instead of teasing me like this, hurry up and help me, nya! My head hurts from hanging upside down, nya!”

The sight of her twisting her body while tied with black thread was like a cat caught in a ball of yarn.

“Hmm…”

I tilted my head. If I help her, she’ll just keep chasing me.

“Haru-nyang?”

Nia’s voice became increasingly pathetic. Her golden eyes became moist.

“Please… Nia was so lonely all alone, nya…”

This is dangerous. If I see those eyes, I feel like I want to help her.

“But if I help you, you’ll just keep chasing me, right?”

“That’s… obvious, nya! Nia is Haru-nyang’s cat!”

I sighed at her shameless answer.

“I’ll really tell you all the information about the treasure vault, nya! I promise, nya!”

Nia made a serious expression. A cat burglar’s promise… Can I trust it?

“What if you lie?”

“Then I’ll live as a house cat under Haru-nyang’s feet for the rest of my life, nya! …Though I was planning to do that anyway!”

She muttered the last words quietly, but I heard them clearly.

“Haa… Okay.”

I moved my feet. She probably looted the treasure vault enough for a week. It will be helpful.

“Really, nya? Haru-nyang is the best, nya!”

I unfolded my aura and cut the black thread. Nia fell to the floor.

“Ugh… My head hurts, nya…”

Nia landed crouching like a cat. Her golden eyes glared at me.

“But… why did Haru-nyang come to the treasure vault, nya?”

My spine chilled at her sharpened voice.

“Perhaps… you’re planning to run away again, nya?”

Her black tail swayed dangerously. I could feel my heartbeat quickening.

“Abandon Nia… and go alone again?”

A beastly light flickered in her golden eyes. The pitiful expression from before was nowhere to be found.

This girl, was she acting all along?

“Yes. I’m going to run away. I can’t live with you guys.”

I said honestly. There was no point in hiding it now.

“Nyang?”

Nia’s eyes widened at my honest confession.

“You know it too. If I’m with you guys, my life is over.”

“What is that… Nia can make Haru-nyang happy, nya!”

“Happiness in your own way, I guess.”

“But what are you going to do now, nya? You released Nia, so you can’t run away, right?”

It was a dangerous look. But I was already prepared.

“I don’t want to fight you.”

Her black tail shot up threateningly. Her claws grew longer.

“I won’t let Haru-nyang escape again, nya!”

A black shadow swirled. Nia’s movements were too fast to follow with my eyes.

But…

Nia jumped up like a cat. Sharp claws flashed and swung towards my face.

“Kyaak! Haru-nyang, you can’t escape now, nya!”

Whoosh- whoosh-

But her attack… was somehow playful. Like a cat playing with a toy.

“Nia, you don’t seem serious?”

“Shut up, nya! I’m going to catch Haru-nyang… Haaak!”

Her claws grazed me, and the hem of my clothes tore. But my skin wasn’t scratched.

“Ugh… Why are you so calm, nya!”

Her attack was literally at the level of a nyang-nyang punch.

Nia’s movements gradually slowed down. She started to pant.

“Come to think of it, you’re specialized in speed. But I’m…”

“Ugh… Haru-nyang’s defense is too high, nya… Too hard, nya…”

Eventually, a tired Nia slumped to the floor. Her black tail drooped powerlessly.

“Are you a little calmer now?”

“Ugh… Haru-nyang is so mean, nya…!”

Her flushed face was cute. After all, a cat is… just a cat.

The reason I released Nia was because she wasn’t very threatening.

Alice’s dragon magic, Sylvia’s spirits, Seraphina’s divine power… Unlike them, Nia is just fast and agile.

Of course, she’s the best at stealth and escape, but she’s not a big threat to someone with high defense like me. She probably knows very well that she can’t catch me either.

“Haa… Nia is tired now, nya…”

“Are you going to tell me the treasure vault information now?”

“Hmph! Why should I tell you when Haru-nyang won’t play with me, nya!”

“Should I tie you up again then?”

“I don’t want that, nya! …I’ll tell you…”

Nia got up with a pout. Her golden eyes sparkled playfully.

“But Haru-nyang, can’t you really live with Nia, nya?”

“No, that’s…”

This girl, she’s definitely calculating something in her head again.

“It’s a rejection. You’re a cat.”

“Ugh… Haru-nyang is really mean, nya…”

With a sigh, Nia reached out to the wall.

“This is the secret passage lever, nya. The treasure is behind that closet over there, nya…”

“You’re leading the way, cat burglar… no, the party’s rogue.”

“Haru-nyang is so cold, nya… But I’ll definitely get you next time, nya!”

I smiled at her skillful avoidance of traps, even while pouting. This level of relationship is just right for us.

While exploring the treasure vault, Nia gradually changed her attitude.

She must have realized that force wouldn’t work.

In an instant, the sense of intimidation disappeared, and only a coquettish voice remained.

“Haru-nyang, did you get hurt anywhere earlier, nya? Or are you tired, nya?”

She twitched her black ears and made a worried expression. Before I knew it, she had narrowed the distance and started circling around me.

She subtly wrapped her tail around my hand and occasionally pressed on my back.

“…What are you doing?”

“Haru-nyang seems very tired these days, so I’m giving you a massage, nya…!”

Nia wagged her tail and circled around me. Like a cat aiming for prey… no, trying to get her owner’s attention.

“Stop it.”

“Why, nya? Nia is really worried…”

“Allergy.”

“Eek! Not that word again, nya!”

Nia pouted and took a step back. Then suddenly, her eyes changed.

“Does Haru-nyang hate Nia…?”

For a moment, my heart wavered. Anyone would if they saw those eyes…

“Just tell me the location of the treasure.”

“Ehh… I didn’t know Haru-nyang could be so heartless, nya.”

No. Get a grip. That’s just a cat’s cunning trick.

“Haru-nyang, let’s think rationally for a moment, nya…”

What did Nia just say? Rationally? Did cats even have that?

Nia sat on the floor and blinked her golden eyes. She had an expression as if she was calculating something.

Pricking up her ears, Nia spoke in a serious voice.

“First! No matter how much of a hero you are, there’s a limit to running away alone, nya. Haru is like a tough turtle, nya! But Nia is a master of escape! The legendary Great Thief, nya!”

Wagging her black tail, Nia continued confidently.

“Nia has evaded even the pursuit of S-class adventurers, nya? Running away? Leave it to the expert, nya!”

“Hmm…”

“Second! You just saw it, nya? Nia is not at all threatening to Haru-nyang.”

“Is that so?”

“Think about Alice or Sylvia, nya! Dragon magic or the power of spirits is fatal even to Haru-nyang, nya?”

I paused for a moment at those words. Nia was right. Her claws weren’t a threat to me, but the power of the other party members was different.

“Conclusion! What Haru-nyang needs is a companion who is not dangerous but helpful… that’s Nia, nya!”

Her black tail wagged triumphantly.

Her proposal suddenly started to sound attractive. In fact, Nia’s stealth ability was the best.

“Nyang-nyang-nyang! Annihilation by logic, nya!”

“…Nia, you had logic?”

“Of course, nya! What do you take Nia for, nya! Nia is the legendary Great Thief, nya! Of course, I have to use my head well, nya!”

Nia’s voice suddenly became sharp.

“And if…”

Her eyes, which had been as kind and round as possible until just now, became sharp again.

“If Haru-nyang refuses… I’ll tell Alice Haru-nyang’s location, nya.”

“What?”

“Should I tell the golden dragon once, nya? That Haru-nyang is in the Empire?”

Nia threw out a threat with a nyang-nyang laugh. When did this girl start calculating things like this?

I fell into deep thought. Nia was right. She wasn’t a threat to me, but she could be helpful.

Besides, if I turn her into an enemy now…

“Haa… Okay.”

With a deep sigh, I made a decision.

“Let’s go together.”

“Nyang?!”

Nia’s ears perked up. Her golden eyes sparkled with joy.

“Really? Are we really going together, nya?!”

“But there are conditions.”

I quickly added.

“First, you can’t act on your own without my permission.”

“I understand, nya!”

“Second, you can’t contact the other party members.”

“Of course, nya!”

“Third… don’t stick too close. I told you I have allergies.”

“Ugh… that’s a little difficult, nya…”

I was already starting to regret it.

“But I understand, nya! I’ll try to endure as much as possible, nya! From now on, Nia is Haru-nyang’s shadow, nya!”

“A shadow…”

“I’ll be watching from where Haru-nyang can’t see, and I’ll help whenever it’s dangerous, nya!”

It was a strangely persuasive proposal. Certainly, it might be more helpful than being alone.

“Now, let’s go loot the treasure vault, nya! It’s the first mission of the Haru-nyang and Nia duo, not the hero party, nya!”

I smiled as I watched Nia take the lead with a lively step. I just hope this choice was right.

“But do you really have a cat allergy, nya?”

“…I do.”

“That’s a lie, nya! You were fine when you released Nia earlier, nya!”

“That’s…”

“Haru-nyang tricked Nia again, nya!”

I laughed as I watched Nia pout with a flushed face. Well, if it’s just a temporary companionship… it might not be so bad.